//------------------------------// // The Struggle, Pt. 2 // Story: Families // by Darth Link 22 //------------------------------// Owlowiscious landed on the windowsill with a quick hoot. Instantly Fluttershy and Spike were at his side, the latter having Peewee perched on his shoulder.. "What's wrong? Did they come by the library?" "Hoo." "The protesters." "Hoo." "The..." "Um, Spike, Owlowiscious is saying that the protesters came to the library." "What? But... Twilight was on her way there... if she didn't stop them, then what happened to her? What if those ponies got her?" "Got Twilight? Darling, she's much too clever for those louts," Rarity assured as she trotted over. "She must be on her way to talk with them and they somehow slipped by." "She's been gone a long time..." Spike noted, looking out the window, hoping to see his adopted mother trotting over the horizon. "Yes, well, I'm sure they just had trouble finding them. And need I remind you she has Applejack and Clyde with her? I'm sure if those brutes try anything, those two are more than a match for them." "Um, everypony..." "Yeah, but what if they ambush them or something? She could get hurt!" "Um, I... I think..." "Honestly, dearie, there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure Twilight's just fine. She'll be here in... no... time..." Rarity trailed off as she gaped out the window. Spike saw to and froze in terror. "Uh, yes. I was trying to tell you... I think they saw Owlowiscious leave, and they followed him here." The owl in question rotated his head a full one hundred and eighty degrees around, and his eyes widened too. The very ponies he had been hoping to leave behind were coming up to the bakery, and they looked ready to do something about Spike. "Hoo." "What should we do, dear sister?" "You fly down to the entrance and do your best to quell everypony. I will locate Olive Branch. If he is found to still be alive, then his whole plan will collapse in on itself." "What is he hoping to accomplish from all this? Even with all this rabble, it's such a small part of Canterlot's population..." "A mere distraction so he can slip out. I need to check the guard's barracks. He clearly had inside help." Nodding, the two sisters went separate ways. Luna flew out to the entranceway. The Royal Guards, thankfully, had reacted quickly enough to set up a barricade. Wild ponies were pounding against their shields, but the guards were strong. Wishing her sister had taken this duty instead, she was always better talking to ponies, Luna summoned her best Royal Canterlot Voice. "Enough of this!" Much to Luna's relief, there was a change. The pushing, brawling ponies stopped and looked up, a bit frightened at the sight of one of the Princesses still at full power. "We demand to know the meaning of this! Why hast you intruded on the Royal Palace?" "You killed Lord Olive Branch!" a particularly brave, or stupid, it could go either way with this crowd, pony yelled. "We're here to overthrow your twisted regime!" "Are you now?" Luna said, quieting your voice. "Well, I must assure you that Olive Branch is still alive. He was a fool that tried to goad us into giving him information, and he failed. Now he's trying to run." "You lie!" "No, I speak the truth, Olive Branch lies," Luna said slowly, making sure she sounded like she was talking to a particularly slow foal. "We will not stand for it!" the brave/stupid pony said, though it was clear the rest of the mob was beginning to doubt their commitment. "Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish here today?" Luna asked. "You might have a large group, but you still only make up a fraction of Equestria's total population. If you do overthrow us, it will only result in you getting ripped to shreds by the next outraged group to storm this castle." "Yes, well..." "And furthermore, I could simply do this." She lit up her horn, and in a flash the entire crowd was covered in a dome of energy. The ponies trapped inside thrashed against it, though it seemed fruitless. Over the cries of protest, one of the guards spoke. "Should we take them to the dungeon, your Highness?" "No. My sister will be along with Olive Branch shortly, and I believe we can end this. This distraction might have provided enough cover for an intelligent pony to hide, but Olive Branch is far from intelligent." “Then what shall we do?” “Keep them confined here. Send more soldiers to search the hallways for any that slipped by. They may not be able to overthrow us, but they can still do damage.” "Scootaloo. Come out from under there. Now." Speedy's words rang in his daughter's ears like a death sentence. She carefully made her way out from under the covers and stared up at her incredibly angry father. "Were you thinking of leaving?" he asked, with a clear threat in his voice. "N-no.." “I think you were. You thought you were going to leave me,” he said, his voice sounding like a growl. Scootaloo gulped. “P-please, Daddy...” “Hush.” The filly stopped. The voice sounded soft, sincere. Her dad no longer looked angry. “I understand. Rainbow Dash confused you. It would be easy for her to do with a slow filly like you.” “I... I’m not slow...” “Scoots, I know you think you have things figured out, but you're just a foal. You have a lot to learn. But don’t worry, Daddy will make it all better. Once Rainbow Dash is gone...” “But... you’re not going to...” “I have to, she’s a bad pony.” “But... she was teaching me to fly...” “No she wasn’t!” he yelled. “She was leading you on, trying to get you to think she could help you. Trying to turn you against me. You’ll feel better once she’s gone.” “But...” “Enough! I’m your father. I know what’s best. Now, what do you say?” Scootaloo was quiet for a moment. “Scoots, rule number one on anything: you have to be bad before you can be good.” “Kid, I’ve seen you do tricks on that scooter of yours that would make some ponies jealous. Where’d you get the idea you were clumsy?” “Don’t let setbacks discourage you, kid. They’re temporary.” “Every time I hear the word ‘can’t’ out of you, it’s ten push-ups. Period. That is the dirtiest word in the Equestrian language, squirt.” “Well?” “I mean that you keep going until you get it. As long as you’re not hurting anypony, you can do anything.” "The point of this was to teach you that limits exist in your head.” "Well, big or small, I told you not to let anypony tell you you can't do something.” Scootaloo felt her muscles shake. Her brow furrowed. She gulped. She looked up at her father. She took a deep breath. And then, she said the four words that changed her life. “I hate you, Daddy.” She made sure the last word sounded like it was being spat out. Speedy Delivery’s eyes widened. “What?” “I hate you! You’re a terrible pony! You’re doing horrible things! You have no right to treat me this way! Rainbow Dash didn’t steal me from you, she got me because she’s been a better parent than you or Mom! I don’t care what you say! I hate you, and I never want to live with you ever again!” Scootaloo panted heavily, glaring at her father, who was shaking with surprise and rage. She felt good. She felt like she could conquer Equestria. Then the adrenaline wore off, and she remembered she was a small filly going up against a big stallion. “You... ungrateful... little...” Terrified and crying anew, Scootaloo backed up, too scared to follow her brain’s commands to run. Her father stepped closer, lifting a hoof up... “Scoots! Get out of the way!” Scootaloo looked past her father. Speedy Delivery turned around. Scootaloo saw what was coming and got out of the way. Speedy saw what was coming, but that happened a split-second too late to do anything about it. Rainbow Dash had been hurt by Speedy's last blow, but not enough to be knocked out. When she got her senses together, she realized Speedy was no longer paying any attention to her. Her first thought was to jump up and pound him into the ground, but still dizzy she wasn't able to act right away. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it gave her reasoning time to kick in and remember what her strengths were. As soon as she got up, she flew back, and back, and back, until she was touching the wall of the house. As Speedy turned around, she slammed into him with all the speed she could muster. Even drugged and injured, it was plenty. Speedy was knocked off his hooves, over Scootaloo's bed, and through the opposing wall. Out into the air, Speedy nearly hit the ground until his wings kicked in, causing him to regain altitude. He glared at Rainbow Dash. "You! You stole her from me!" "Oh, quit your whining," Rainbow Dash snarked. Speedy lunged at her, but Rainbow Dash was too quick. Her flying was uneven, but even impaired she was still too skilled. "Sorry, rules change. Out here I can move around, and I’m not about to let you get another cheap shot." For a split second, Speedy looked unsure. But his anger and determination overrode his caution. He lunged at her. She flew toward the ground. Speedy, surprised, looked down in time to see her come back up at him. Striking him in the stomach, hard, Rainbow Dash pushed Speedy further in the air. As the stallion struggled to regain his breath, Rainbow Dash pushed him higher, and higher, and higher. This should be enough. At this thought, Rainbow Dash pushed Speedy at an angle, until she was now on top of him. Then, she pushed down, hard. Speedy realized what was going on far too late. At the fastest speed she could muster, Rainbow Dash slammed him into the roof of his house. He ended up going right through it, hitting the second story floor, which gave way to the ground floor, which gave way to the basement. Speedy was unconscious. Laying in his basement, surrounded by debris, he could only moan as the world went black for him. Rainbow Dash tried to catch her breath. She looked at the fallen pony a moment, half expecting him to jump up and continue the fight. "Dash?" Soarin' cautious voice sounded. She jumped, looking for her coltfriend. He had apparently been on his way out of the basement when Rainbow Dash had crashed through, because he was at the top of the stairs, looking at her worriedly. "What happ... is Scootaloo okay?" Remembrance hit her. She flew through the hole in the ceiling, with Soarin following right afterward. The hole on the second story was in Speedy and Quick's bedroom, which Scootaloo had, cautiously, decided to investigate upon hearing the crash. As a result, she was near the rim, looking down, when Rainbow Dash flew out of it. "Is... is..." she stuttered, not quite sure what to ask. She wrapped her forelegs around the shaking filly. "Your dad is out cold, Scoots. I don't think he'll be getting up anytime soon. You're safe." Scootaloo started crying, tears pouring freely. She was safe, her father was gone. She felt happy... didn’t she? Her father was in jail, and he deserved it, she had said so. But now... it was so confusing. "Um... hate to break this up," Soarin said, "but maybe we better get out of here, in case there are more of these guys around?" Both fillies tensed at this. Before Scootaloo could say anything, she was lifted by Rainbow Dash, who was keeping the filly secured in her forelegs. "You're right... let's get to Sugarcube Corner, the others should still be there." Mrs. Cake was the first out the door, despite her husband's insistence to wait while Owlowiscious flew off to get the sheriff. "All of you, get away from my bakery." "Give us the dragon," Rabble Rouser demanded. "Maybe you didn't hear me," the mare said, as icily as possible. "Get. Away. From. My. Bakery." "We're not leaving without that dragon!" the unicorn yelled, and several voices cheered their agreements. "I think you will," Mrs. Cake said. "Y-yeah," Mr. Cake added, though not sounding completely convinced. Inkie and Blinkie were slipping out the back with Pound and Pumpkin, hoping not to be seen. They were, some members of the mob were circling around. But they were allowed to go. The group hated dragons, and allowing a foal to be harmed was not in their agenda. "The two of you can't stop all of us!" "Maybe not," Mrs. Cake answered, "but I think the sheriff, and the mayor, and every citizen of Ponyville who hears about this can. We already have word going to the authorities. And if Twilight gets back in time..." "Twilight Sparkle can't come to her pet's rescue now. She's been detained." "What?" Rarity demanded, bounding out. "I refuse to believe that you... you hooligans could incapacitate Twilight!" "We have! She's not getting free." "Actually, yes I am." The crowd all turned in a simultaneous gape as Twilight Sparkle, with three earth ponies right behind her, stood. Not tall, like expecting a fight, but actually pretty casually. "Y-you can't stop us! You're still just one unicorn!" Rabble Rouser declared. "We'll run right over you!" There was no agreement from the crowd on this one, many were clearly beginning to question their commitment to the cause. "And there you go again," Twilight said, sounding surprisingly calm, walking forward and through the crowd as if on a casual stroll. "I have to applaud your bravery." Rabble Rouser blinked, clearly unsure what to think of this. "Um, well... what?" "It takes a special type of pony to do what you did," she declared, stepping in front of the bakery. All eyes were on her, even her friends looked at her oddly, not sure what she was up to. "Not many would have the nerve to attack Celestia's personal student. Then again, maybe you'll have a chance. I only know about half of of the combat spells ever invented." She was checking the underside of her hoof for dirt, as if having a casual conversation. "Yes, well..." "Would you like to hear about some of them?" she asked. "I think you'd want to know what you're going up against." "That's quite alright..." "Oh, I insist." For the next fifteen minutes, Twilight held the crowds attention and horror as she described, in increasingly colorful detail, just what she could do to them with the combat spells she knew. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were glad the twins were sent away, while Fluttershy had darted back inside and under a table, whimpering, and Spike was looking from the inside, both horrified and strangely intrigued. Midway through, Chief Book 'Em showed up with Owlowiscious and two other police ponies, expecting to have to stop a riot, only to find that his arrival wasn't even noticed. "And that's it for the first two dozen I know," Twilight said. "Would you like to know the next two dozen? I don't really think it will come up, using a city-leveling spell in a situation like this seems to be overkill, but it's nice to be prepared." "N-no, we're fine, really," Rabble Rouser said, who unmistakably wished he were somewhere else right now. She shrugged. "Suit yourself. Still, I must applaud your bravery. More cowardly ponies would fall to the ground right now and wait while the Chief of Police arrests them." "Well, we’re not cowards," said Rabble Rouser, trying to get the gusto back in his voice. "We'll still stand tall! Right?" He was answered by several thumps as the entire rest of his mob fell to their knees, doing the unspoken command. For the second time in as many visits to Ponyville, Rabble Rouser found himself standing alone. "Y-you can't do this to me!" the unicorn said. "I've got..." He was cut off by Applejack, who gave him a solid buck to the head, sending him to the ground. "Aw, shut yer hole," the cowpony spat. Twilight immediately ran inside the bakery and gathered Spike in a hug. "Oh my gosh, Spike," she whispered. "I was so worried about you when I heard they were on their way here." She kissed his face. "I'm fine," he said, blushing a bit at the display of affection. "Really. I think I should send a letter to the Princess and tell her what happened." "Good idea," she said. "I need to tell you everything. Those ponies captured us and..." "Oh no!" Applejack said suddenly. "They said that they captured four of th' Elements! That means... Rainbow Dash! She's in trouble!" "What!" Twilight yelled. "Why didn't you say anything?" "I wasn't thinkin' of it!" the cowpony defended. "I was more worried when they said they’s gunna attack Spike! We need ta' find them before..." The door to Sugarcube Corner opened again, and Rainbow Dash flew in, Scootaloo slung over her shoulder, with Soarin behind her. "Twilight? What's going on? What's with the..." Instantly she was nearly tackled by her five fellow Bearers as they all started shouting questions and concerns at once. "Rainbow Dash, are you okay? Were you captured, too?" "Darling, it's a relief to see you're okay. Are you hurt?" "What in tarnation happened? Is Scoots okay?" "Do you have any snacks?" "Back off, back off," Rainbow Dash commanded. When it was followed, she sighed. "Okay... I think we both have some explaining to do." Olive Branch poked his head in the courtyard. "The coast is clear," he said, and the ran across the lawn, ducking behind another shrubbery. They were close to the guards barracks now which was against the back of the palace walls, but they weren't worried. Their little distraction would keep the guards busy until further notice. "This way," a whisper sounded. Two pegasus guards were waving at them, inviting them over. The trio dashed toward them, visibly relieved. "So the plan didn't work, I take it?" one guard asked. "No... but I'll figure it out. Celestia might not have had an answer to give me, but they're all other ways. Once I get to the Source, I can research there. Now, are you sure this is a way out?" "Right through here," he said, motioning to the wall. "There’s an entrance they say some former captain with incredibly powerful magic made while Celestia was away. Guards use it to break curfew and sneak out, so we know Celestia doesn't know about it." "Good. How does it open?" The guard pressed his hoof against the wall. A stone pressed down, and a section of the wall slid up. On the other side was an alicorn, who proceeded to lift the five now very frightened stallions into the air. "You know, I find it beneficial to pretend I don't know certain things," Celestia said calmly. "Oh, and before I forget..." She levitated a horn ring onto Olive Branch. The former leader gulped. Sugarcube Corner was crowded, holding the six Bearers, the Pie family, the Cake family, Spike, Scootaloo, Chief Book 'Em, and Mayor Mare. Spike had just finished writing the last of what happened on the scroll he was using, along with a request to send a guard until. The Ponyville Jail wasn't big enough to hold forty people, it was hardly big enough to hold four, so they were being watched over by the citizens, lead by Soarin, until they could be escorted to Canterlot, the nearest city with a jail big enough. As Spike sent the letter, the Mayor spoke to Rainbow Dash. "I take it you're going to want to take her for right now?" she asked, gesturing over to Scootaloo, whom Inkie and Blinkie had added to their babysitting roster. She was simply sitting, lost in thought, despite the two sisters' attempts at cheering her up. "Well, yeah..." Rainbow Dash said slowly. "At least until we figure out what to do." She nodded. "There's some paperwork to fill out... but I think it'll wait until morning. Take Scootaloo and go home, she deserves to rest." She nodded and gave a quick thanks before flying over to Scootaloo, who perked up at seeing her. "Um, hey Rainbow Dash. Wh-what happened to my parents?" "They've been arrested," she said, "along with their friends. They can't bother you anymore. Come on," she said, picking her up. "Where are we going?" "My house," she said. "You can stay with me until we figure things out." "Really?" she said excitedly. "That's so cool! Thanks, Rainbow Dash!" "No problem, squirt," she said as she flew out the door. By now the mob was all on their stomachs, their hooves handcuffed behind their backs. Soarin, who was supervising the situation, saw his marefriend leaving and flew over to her. "You got permission to take her?" She nodded. "Are you coming back to my house when you're done here?" "I should. I'll need to do debriefing, so it might be awhile. Don't wait up." She nodded, giving him a quick kiss. "Ew," Scootaloo said, sticking out her tongue. "Don't knock it 'till you've tried it, squirt," Rainbow Dash said playfully. "I'll come by soon, kiddo, you just get some rest," the Wonderbolt said, playfully ruffling the filly's mane. She giggled. Giving another quick kiss, Rainbow Dash flew off. Luna was beginning to get tired of the constant cries of tyrant directed at her. She thought about bringing out the Royal Canterlot Voice, but decided it wouldn't be effective enough. Something did silence them, though. A cry of "Let me go! Please, I'm sorry! I won't do it again, really! Please!" The voice silenced as it was brought into the room, courtesy of Celestia. The pony looked at the crowd in horror, and they looked back in shock. "As you can see," Celestia said in a clear, neutral voice, "Olive Branch deceived you. He lives, and he cares nothing of the revolution. This was nothing more than a means to his own selfish ends." “Don’t listen to her! We can still...” Olive Branch’s muzzle was encased in magic, silencing him. “No. This has gone on long enough,” Celestia said firmly. There was a silence as the shock continued. "The fighting is over. Luna, lower your shield." The younger sister did so. "If you are all outside the palace within five minutes, I'll pretend none of this ever happened, since fortunately for all of you, nopony was hurt. If you fail to do so, you'll be arrested and tried on conspiracy charges alongside Olive Branch. I'd also like to point out that today you've caused more damage to the palace than Spike ever did in the entire time he lived here, so I would suggest thinking twice before labeling him as the wild animal." The crowd needed no second bidding. They left, and Olive Branch saw the last of his plans fall apart. Rainbow Dash tucked the half-asleep Scootaloo into her guest bed. The days events had worn off, and her new situation had relieved her of a lot of fear, allowing for a good night's rest for the first time in a while. Rainbow Dash pulled the blanket up. "Rainbow... what's going to happen to me now?" "...I don't know," she admitted. "There's still a big mess to sort through. You can stay here until they figure it out. Right now, you should be getting some sleep." "I know..." "Besides the obvious, are you alright?" "...I don't know," Scootaloo admitted. "I'm not sure how to..." A yawn cut her off. "...how to feel." "I think sleep may help you figure things out," she said, stroking her mane. "We can talk in the morning. Until then rest up." "Okay. G'night, Rainbow Dash." "Good night, Scoots." She paused a minute, debating, before leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. Scootaloo smiled, even while drifting off to sleep. Rainbow Dash looked at her. There was still a lot she didn't know, how big this whole conspiracy was, what was going to happen to Scootaloo, what was going to happen to Speedy and Quick, and so much more. Still, right now Scootaloo was safe and sound, Soarin would be home soon, and Twilight was working to wrap up the members here. Something told her things would work out just fine.